What is vertigo?
Vertigo and dizziness can be confusing terms for people. Vertigo and dizziness are not interchangeable terms. Dizziness is normally describing a variety of sensations of light headedness, swaying, disorientation, heaviness in the head etc. While vertigo is described as the feeling of the room spinning or you are spinning within the room, off balance and swaying. Vertigo is generally caused by a disorder of the vestibular system. The vestibular system is made up of small structures located within your inner ear that help control our balance as well as tell the brain what direction and speed the head is moving in space.
Vertigo is also known as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV).
Causes of true vertigo (BPPV)?
- Head or ear injury like severe jolts like car accidents or falls
- Ear surgery or ear infection, such as otitis media
- Degeneration of the inner ear structures age related
- Vestibular neuritis (viral infection of the inner ear)
- Meniere’s disease (a disorder of the inner ear)
- Some types of minor strokes
Symptoms of BPPV:
- Vertigo (a spinning sensation, described above – not feeling dizzy or lightheaded)
- Short duration (lasts seconds to a few minutes)
- Is usually induced by a change in position
- Nausea or feeling faint is usually NOT accompanied with BPPV
How can Physiotherapy help with vertigo?
Physiotherapists use provoking manoeuvres to diagnose BPPV in addition to a thorough assessment of body. The physiotherapist will create a customised program to improve the function of these symptoms.
Exercises include :
- Habituation exercises: these exercises involve specific movements that are designed to gently stimulate the symptoms of dizziness in order to desensitise the vestibular system to those movements. They are designed to reduce symptoms of dizziness.
- Eye—head coordination exercises: these exercises are designed to improve focus and reduce symptoms of dizziness.
- Balance and Gait exercises: these exercises involve challenging the vestibular balance system in order to strengthen it. They are designed to improve balance and confidence when walking.
- Re-positioning techniques: these techniques are used for a specific inner ear (vestibular) condition. This condition results in significant symptoms of vertigo when changing position, such as when lying down or rolling over in bed. Techniques such as the Epley manoeuvre can successfully treat BPPV but should be performed by your Physiotherapist with specific skills in vestibular rehabilitation.
If you suffer from or believe vertigo may be a condition affecting you give our clinic a call on 8269 3800 to book an appointment with one of our physiotherapists. They can discuss the many exercise techinques we cater for at Back in Motion Prospect and help you improve your quality of life.